How Georgie Comerford played football for four counties and two provinces

George (‘Georgie’) William Comerford (1911-1988), a member of An Garda Síochána, played football for Clare, Louth, Dublin and Kildare, and for Munster and Leinster

Patrick Comerford

During my visits to Co Clare and Co Galway in recent weeks as part of this summer’s continuing ‘road trip,’ I have visited a number of houses associated with the Comerford family in places such as Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, Ennistymon, Kilfenora and Kinvara.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to revise and update my family trees for different branches of the Comerford family in Co Clare and Co Galway. However, one well-known Comerford in Co Clare, with family connections in Limerick, seemed to continue to evade my efforts to find his place on the family tree.

George (‘Georgie’) William Comerford (1911-1988) was a member of An Garda Síochána and was a well-known Gaelic footballer who is remembered as Miltown Malbay’s greatest-ever footballer. He played football for four counties – Clare, Louth, Dublin and Kildare; and he played inter-provincial football for two provinces – Munster and Leinster.

Georgie Comerford was born in Whitegate, Co Clare, on 25 January 1911. But despite his name, he does not seem to have been closely related to two similarly-named contemporaries: George Comerford, who was a publican in Doonbeg, Co Clare; and George Comerford, whose father, Harry Comerford, was the station master in Ennistymon.

Instead, this Georgie Comerford’s father was Daniel Comerford (1866-1913), a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and his grandfather was John Comerford, a farmer in Loughtagne, near Stradbally, Queen’s County (Co Laois).

Daniel Comerford was born on 2 January 1866 near Stradbally. He joined the Royal Irish Constabulary on 22 November 1888 and was posted to Co Limerick on 29 June 1889. On 12 July 1898, Daniel married Mary Anne Murphy, daughter of Thomas Murphy, carpenter, in Saint Michael’s Church, Limerick.

When he married, Daniel was transferred from Co Limerick to Co Clare, and he was an RIC constable, living at Ennis Road, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, in 1901 and 1906.

Daniel was promoted Acting Sergeant on 1 January 1908 and became Sergeant-in-Charge of Quin RIC Station. Later that year, he was transferred to Whitegate RIC Station and was promoted to Sergeant on 1 October 1909. He was Sergeant-in-Charge of Whitegate RIC Station in 1908-1913.

Daniel died on 24 October 1913, at Whitegate, Co Clare, and was buried in Clonrush. His family then returned to Miltown Malbay, where Mary Anne died on 20 December 1946.

Mary Anne and Daniel Comerford were the parents of seven children:

1, John Alphonsus Comerford (1899-1902), born Limerick City 2 June 1899, died 2 December 1902, buried Ballard, Milton Malbay.
2, Thomas Gerard Comerford (1900-1900), born 24 July 1900, died 27 August 1900.
3, Eleanor Maud (1901-1986), born Miltown Malbay 13 June 1901, died 1986.
4, Daniel Christopher Comerford (1903-1980).
5, Joseph Comerford (1905-post 1930), born Miltown Malbay, 4 May 1905.
6, Michael Henry Comerford (1906-1906), born Miltown Malbay 29 April 1906, died 19 June 1906.
7, George (‘Georgie’) William Comerford, the famous Co Clare footballer.

The eldest surviving son, Daniel Christopher Comerford (1902-1980), was born Miltown Malbay on 10 December 1902. On 4 August 1922, he joined the new National Army as an infantry private, during the Irish Civil War.

Daniel emigrated to New York in 1925 and lived there for at least five years before returning to Miltown Malbay. In the 1930 census, Daniel and his brother Joseph are recorded as living in Astoria, Queens, with their cousins the Furlongs.

Daniel returned to Co Clare and he married in Miltown Malbay on 7 June 1939 Emelia (Amy) Wilson (1907-2003), a daughter of Leonard Wilson (1867-1932) from Portadown, Co Armagh. Leonard joined the RIC in 1888 and was posted to Clare that year. He married Bridget McMahon (1865-1934) in Miltown Malbay and was posted to Co Limerick in 1898. While he was stationed in Limerick, Bridget ran the family business, Wilson’s Pub, on Main Street, Miltown Malbay. Leonard was promoted Acting Sergeant on 1 October 1902 and Sergeant on 1 December 1905. He retired in April 1913, and when he died on 10 April 1932, he was buried in the Church of Ireland churchyard in Miltown Malbay.

Sergeant Daniel Comerford’s youngest child, Georgie Comerford, was born in Whitegate, Co Clare, on 25 January 1911, and he was only two when his father died. He attended primary school in Miltown Malbay and secondary school in Ennistymon. Miltown won the first minor championship in Co Clare in 1924, and won it again in 1926 and 1927. Georgie Comerford was on all those teams and played with the Clare minors in 1929 when they won the All-Ireland.

He joined the Garda Síochána in the late 1920s. He was the only non-Kerry player on the victorious Munster Railway Cup team in 1931, when all other 14 team members were from Co Kerry. He was a member of the Ireland selection for the Tailteann Games in 1932, representing his native Co Clare.

He played in the All-Ireland final for Dublin at Croke Park in 1934, when Galway scored 3-05 to Dublin’s 1-09. He also won a Railway Cup medal with Leinster in 1935, this time representing Dublin.

As a garda, he was stationed in Athy, Co Kildare, for a number of years in the mid-1930s. He captained the senior championship winning team in 1937, and played for Co Kildare in the Leinster Final in 1938, when, for the second time in three years, Kildare were defeated by Laois.

When he was in his mid-40s, George Comerford played football for Co Louth and won a championship with Dundalk Gaels in 1945. In retirement, he returned to live in Co Clare. He died on 20 July 1988 in Miltown Malbay and was buried in Ballard Cemetery.

Updated: 17 August 2022

Georgie Comerford is remembered as as Miltown Malbay’s greatest-ever footballer … he played for four counties and two provinces

Angel-voices ever singing round thy throne of light

The Archangel Michael … one of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Patrick Comerford

The opening hymn at Freddie McKeown’s Requiem Mass in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin yesterday [8 July 2019] was ‘Angel-voices ever singing.’ Later, I had my first opportunity see the icons of the seven archangels written by the Revd Olive Donohoe and presented to the cathedral earlier this year.

The icons, mounted in the South Ambulatory at the East End of the cathedral, are written in the Romanian tradition and are the work of by the Revd Olive Donohoe, Rector of the Athy, Kilberry and Kilkea group of parishes in the Diocese of Glendalough.

Olive wrote these icons during her annual retreats over seven years, with each icon representing a year’s retreat. She was trained in icon writing by the renowned Romanian icon writer Michai Cucu, who some years ago presented the cathedral with five icons in Lady Chapel.

At the time, Dean Dermot Dunne paid tribute to Olive for donating her work: ‘I am truly grateful to Olive for her decision to donate the icons to the cathedral.’

Olive began writing her icons at her retreats with the ‘Red Nuns’ – the Redemptoristine Sisters – in Drumcondra. She chose the Seven Archangels having seen an icon of the Archangel Michael in the Carmelite Convent in Delgany, Co Wicklow.

‘I saw an icon of Michael and really liked it and as I was doing it, the iconographer Michai Cucu began to talk about the Seven Archangels and I didn’t even know that there were seven, I thought of four, at a push, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and I heard somewhere of Uriel. That was it. And as the week went by, I became more and more interested and was inspired I think, to say that I wouldn’t mind doing all seven, you know.

‘Of course, I wasn’t thinking straight because when you consider it, what on earth do you do with Seven Archangels in the house? So five years later here we are,’ Olive said.

During that first retreat, Michai explained the place of the Archangels in the Orthodox tradition, in which each has a role and a place in the hierarchy in Heaven.

The process of writing an icon is complicated and symbolic and done in an atmosphere of prayer and contemplation. Michai brings the ‘gessoed’ boards and gold leaf from Romania and the writing technique, a medium called tempera, involves using egg-wash and mineral paints to give a glowing lasting colour.

Mihai Cucu is a long-time resident of Ireland but comes from Suceava in Romania. From an early age, he was drawn to art and to religion, leading him naturally to his interest in icons which he calls an invitation to the divine. His university training deepened his understanding of the tradition as he learned how to conserve and restore old icons as well as generating new ones.

‘Orthodox Christians use icons of saints to focus their minds on meditation or prayer; they believe the icons are filled with the spirit of the person they represent,’ Olive said recently. ‘The theological significance of the icon is that it speaks in the language of art and the visual of deeper spiritual truths. Icons also lift up our minds from earthly things to the heavenly.’

‘Icons are a prayer. They are not an end in themselves, not a collectable, not a decoration although they are decorative, but they are ultimately a way into prayer,’ Olive said when she presented her icons of the Seven Archangels to the cathedral recently.

The cathedral has produced a booklet giving the background to each icon and offering themes for prayer. The seven Archangels in these icons are: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel and Barachiel.

Saint Michael is traditionally known as the defender of the Faith. The name Michael means, ‘Who is like unto God?’ The Archangel Michael is a warrior and commander of the heavenly army, and appears in prophetic texts that speak of the cosmic battle at the end of time (see Daniel 12: 1).

The Archangel Gabriel … the second of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Saint Gabriel is the messenger of God. The name Gabriel means, ‘God is my strength.’ In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Archangel Gabriel appears to Daniel to bring an explanation of the prophetic vision he has received.

Gabriel also appears as God’s messenger in the Gospels, appearing to Zechariah to foretell the birth of Saint John the Baptist, and to the Virgin Mary to announce that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God.

The Archangel Raphael … the third of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Saint Raphael provides healing to the earth and its inhabitants. The name Raphael means, ‘The Healing of God.’

Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, performing miraculous works of healing (see Tobit 3: 17).

The Archangel Uriel … the fourth of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Saint Uriel is the light or fire of God. The name Uriel means, ‘God is my light.’ Uriel is mentioned in II Esdras as a messenger who speaks to the priest Ezra. In later tradition and iconography, Uriel came to be closely associated with the sun, light and beauty.

The Archangel Selaphiel … the fifth of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Saint Selaphiel is the patron saint of prayer and worship. The name Selaphiel means, ‘Prayer of God.’ In some Christian traditions, Selaphiel is considered the patron saint of prayer, and is associated with an anonymous angel referred to in the Book of Revelation (see Revelation 8: 3).

The Archangel Jehudiel … the sixth of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Saint Jehudiel is depicted holding a crown and whip, symbolising reward from God for the righteous and punishment for the sinners. The name Jehudiel means ‘Laudation of God,’ and Jehudiel symbolises labour in whatever field or profession and at whatever level of responsibility that is devoted to the glory of God.

The Archangel Barachiel … the seventh of seven icons of the archangels by Olive Donohoe in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2019)

Saint Barachiel entreats the mercy of God for people. The name Barachiel means, ‘Blessing of God.’ Barachiel is often portrayed holding a rose, or with scattered rose petals, symbolising the abundance of God’s blessings.

With the proper, appropriate liturgical decorum at Freddie’s funeral yesterday, where one of his chosen readings was Revelation 7, I think he would have been pleasantly surprised with the association of the Archangel Selaphiel with the anonymous angel referred to in the Book of Revelation:

‘Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne’ (Revelation 8: 3).

Angel-voices ever singing
round thy throne of light,
angel-harps, for ever ringing,
rest not day nor night;
Thousands only live to bless thee
and confess thee
Lord of might.

Gasping for air on the beach in Bettystown and learning lessons from Connacht rugby

Walking on the golden sands in Bettystown, Co Meath, on Wednesday afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016)

Patrick Comerford

I almost lost my voice last Sunday while I was presiding at the Eucharist. Since then, speaking out loud has been a testing task, my throat is closing before I can even open it and my lungs feel they are pushing too hard at too little air.

I think all this is a flare up on my lungs of my sarcoidosis symptoms following medical procedures almost two weeks ago and it is feeling quite uncomfortable. As yesterday progressed, I was worried about not being able to speak at a diocesan synod in Athy, Co Kildare.

But by lunchtime yesterday, there was a clear blue sky, I could feel the sunshine on my face, and there was a real feeling that summer may be on the way.

Some cousins from the English Midlands were passing through Dublin on their way to Ennskillen. We meet up near my old school at Gormanston shortly after mid-day, and five of us went to lunch in Relish in Bettystown, Co Meath, looking out over the sandbanks and out towards the Irish Sea.

The tide was out, and with such clear blue skies and clear blue seas, the lengthy stretch of sand was beautiful expanse below us stretching from Laytown to the south to the mouth of the Boyne at Mornington to the north.

After lunch, we went for a walk on those golden sands, out to the shoreline, before returning for coffee on the terrace at Relish.

Walking on the beach in Bettystown, Co Meath, on Wednesday afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016)

By the time I got to Saint Michael’s Church, Athy, my lungs had enough energy to speak against the proposed diocesan changes, including removing six parishes from the Diocese of Glendalough and transferring them to the Diocese of Meath and Kildare.

As I explained last night, I have nothing against either Meath or Kildare: I went to school in Co Meath and one of my degrees is from a university on Co Kildare.

But this Bill fails because it is based not on ecclesiology and the needs of the church, with the diocese as the basic unit, but because it is based on financial needs and sees the parish as the basic and transferrable unit of the church. As I said last night, a bill that made similar presuppositions in the past was labelled as “national apostasy” by John Keble – not because of what it was doing, but because of the presumptions on which it was founded.

An archdeacon in another diocese asked me on social media whether this was a “NIMBY synod.” But it can never be. It must be about the needs of the whole church.

This Bill presumes we should only have bishops where we can afford them. The reality is we should have bishops not where we can afford them but where we need them for the life, ministry and mission of the Church of Ireland.

Bishops are about leading the Church, not about managing the Church.

The proposals must be addressed as a whole, and not just how they affect individual dioceses. I said it was unimaginable to consider a new diocese that would stretch from Achill Island in the north-west, to Valentia Island in the south-west, and embracing parishes in Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo, and parts of Sligo, Offaly and North Tipperary.

I pointed out that these proposals would live the Church of Ireland without a resident bishop in the whole province of Connacht. And I pointed out that the IRFU had also tried to get rid of Connacht Rugby – and look at how wrong they were about that.